A Wish is just that
by Voidfang
Summary: With so many regrets, how can one keep on living? To repent and move on in the next life, hopefully. [SI-OC] OC-centric
1. Prologue

**This is more or less a test fanfic than anything. I'll be writing this to see if I'm capable of writing somewhat decent stuff. If you have any opinions, criticisms, or comments, please fell free to leave them. Realize that, while I've read many, this is my first time writing. I know SI-OC has been done many times before and is overused, but I couldn't help myself. I love reading them.**

* * *

Pitch black. All I saw was complete darkness. My mind was reeling. I couldn't see a thing and it was _cold_. The last thing I remember was...

Oh.

Right.

I'm dead.

Well, at least that makes sense. That car came too fast for me to see it. _Way_ too fast. The one day I decide to walk over and pick up my little sister from school, I get run over. That's just fabulous. My poor family. I hope they're alright.

My sister will probably be devastated. So will my mom.

My mom!

The last time I saw her we were in a heated argument about being fired from my job. Damnit. That's not how I want to leave! I love her greatly, yet that's how I treated her! How will my girlfriend feel? I don't want to put that kind of agony on her.

I have so many regrets.

I never treated my mother, my sweet, fragile mother appropriately. I wish I had done more chores, helped her out more, been there for her when dad left us. Why couldn't I? Did pride mean that much to me back then? Why didn't I go on more dates with my girlfriend? She meant the world to me, yet how many times did I show it? My little sister neve stopped supporting me, even when I wouldn't support her.

I would give anything to go back to the living.

"Would you? _Really?_ " The voice was deep and ominous.

I looked around, but could see nothing in the darkness.

"Absolutely, yes!" I cried out. I couldn't stand the cold, but the regret was even worse.

"Just let me live again!" I wailed.

I heard a dark chuckle coming from all around me. It was definitely human. That part puzzled me. I couldn't make sense of it. Before I could process it any further, I felt it.

I felt warmth coupled with pain. Intense pain that I have never felt before. Blinding light flashed before my eyes. I struggled to breath, and that fact, in and of itself, was truely something to pause and consider. But I've never been the most rational person ever.

I cried. No, scratch that. I _wailed._

Where was the warmth? I was bombarded by all these noises and the momentary warmth had gone away. I felt so naked, so vulnerable. I still couldn't see a thing.

The blinding light faded a little, yet all I could see were large blurs of color. The room I appeared to be in was entirely white. Something lifted me up and placed me into the arms of another giant blur of color. I was still crying at this point, but the pain was fading. My toungue touched the inside of my mouth in between breaths. Great. I was missing my teeth.

No wonder I couldn't speak.

My limbs were incredibly uncoordinated. I could barely move them at all, except flail them about. The large blur holding onto me held me tight. She muttered some words dripping with love. I could pick out one that was louder than the rest. "Hikaru... My little Hikaru." Then it dawned on me.

This woman holding me had given birth to me. Me. I'm 17 years old.

I was just born. Again.

My brain was going into hyperdrive. What the hell, man? How am I going to find my family at this age? I asked to see the world again, not to be given birth to _again._ It's ridiculous! Reincarnation isn't real! Even if it was, this isn't how it works, right? How does reincarnation even work!? What is this, an anime? Some sort of fictional world where anything and everything happens for the good of the protagonist?

I passed out.

* * *

 **Three years later.**

I think I might have to reconsider what I said at birth. My stubborness made me overlook it several times, but it continuously becomes harder and harder to deny the truth.

I am not in my previous world.

Well, if reincarnation is possible, then why can't that be possible too, eh? I don't know anymore. One way I can tell is that they're definitely not speaking English. From my somewhat limited knowledge of anime, I can deduce that it is Japanese. Or some form of an Asian language. Even though it is rather challenging, I have been slowling learning the language.

As for my parents, well my 'father' isn't really around much because of his job, but the times I have seen him, he's treated me with love and kindness. Same goes for my new mother as well. My every need was taken care of.

My 'father' has black hair and deep, dark eyes. His skin is a little pale, but nothing too out of the ordinary. He is tall and lean. He kept a serious face on around me, but I could always see a glimmer of playfulness and amusement in his eyes. He looks familiar, but I can't place it.

My 'mother' has bright brown hair. She always has it in a ponytail. Wherever she goes, she always has an aura of gracefulness and beauty. She has a smile on her face almost all the time and does everything she can for the two of us.

Still, I believe they're beginning to realize that I am not an average child. I have not cried at all since birth. I was well behaved and kept to myself most of the time. I learned how to walk again fairly early. Crawling isn't my style. Once I had regained mobility in my legs, it was easy.

Sitting in front of me was a notebook. It contained useful information on kanjis and stuff like that. I think. Again, not super familiar with it.

Anyways, I was deep in thought and wanted to learn how to read and write very quickly. A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts. My 'mother' walked over, opened the door and pulled the man in the door into a passionate kiss. Luckily, this man was my 'father', out on another one of his work related trips. That's not what grabbed my attention though. Tied neatly around his forehead was a headband with a'' metal plate on the front. In the center stood a symbol. A symbol I knew well. It dawned on me suddenly and all the peices now fit together. I know where I am.

Konahagakure. The Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Home to Naruto.


	2. The Beginning of a Wonderful Friendship

**Thank you for reading! Make sure to give me suggestions for the future!**

 **Hikaru will be one year older than Naruto. He'll be in the academy with Lee, Tenten, and Neji. I've been thinking, and I want to put Hikaru on an original team. Not with any other main characters. If you guys would like to come up with two OC's for his teammates, that would be great! I'm not yet sure who I want their sensei to be yet, so if you have any suggestions, please leave a review!**

* * *

I had wished that I could be back in the world of the living. It seems like I got that wish.

What the hell, man.

I guess I'm going to have to accept that I will never see my former family again. It's wonderful that I can go through life again, but it doesn't mean much when I know absolutely no one.

Well...

That's not true.

I know most of the Naruto cast. And from what I've seen, I am definitely in Naruto. It's like a dream come true. More of a nightmare, actually, but all the same. Now that I think about it, a year after I had been 'born', I could hear explosions. Really loud ones. I felt the ground shaking from inside my crib. My mom grabbed me and took me somewhere I didn't recognize. Thinking back, it must have been the kyuubi. It all adds up. Even this strange sensation I feel underneath my skin. It must be chakra.

I tried moving the chakra inside of me. It didn't work the way I wanted. I'll have to study that.

Anyways, back to the situation at hand. It is now obvious that my father is a shinobi of Konoha. It is possible that my mother is as well. I haven't seen anyone like her in the anime, but she has been talking to father about returning to work soon. I can only guess what that means.

They stood like that for a while.

After the loving embrace, she turned to me. "Hikaru. Come and greet your father." She smiled sweetly. Even though I did not really want to, I nodded and obeyed. I walked over to the door and looked up. I only spoke sparingly, so it was to no one's surpries that I only said, "Hello."

My father smiled. He bent down and ruffled my brown hair. It was becoming rather shaggy. "How have you been Hikaru? Did you miss me?"

I shook my head impassively. "Yes, father. I have been well."

He laughed at that. "You never cease to surprise me, ya know? Do you want to hear about my mission?"

My eyes widened. "Yes!"

"Alright then, we can discuss it over dinner." He brought my into a hug, which I returned hesitantly.

* * *

"-and then, I grabbed him from behind when he was least expecting it. He turned around just in time to receive a good punch in the face! We rounded up the enemy-nin and the rest of trip went without problem."

I paid attention thoroughly. The story itself was alright, but the way he told it made a big difference. I imagine that he left a few things out though. "All by yourself?" I asked. He nodded. "Yep! I'm just that strong." He smirked. My mom laughed. "In your dreams, Isamu." she said jokingly.

"When can I become a ninja?" He turned to me and answered. "Around the age of six, I believe." I nodded. Three more years. Then I can become stronger. The only thing I can think of is going to the library and reading things about chakra control and taijutsu techniques. I needed a goal, though. Something that will define me as who I am. It isn't hard to come up with one in the Naruto universe, though.

Naruto uses the 'I must become strong to protect my precious people' thing a lot. I would as well, but I don't have any precious people anymore. It's not something that would apply to me very well. Maybe I can adopt that motto later once I have precious people.

Sasuke has the 'I must avenge my clan' thing. He uses it to become stronger and kill Itachi. Then it changes to revolution against Konoha. His goal would never apply to me. Hopefully.

And Sakura is useless until she uses that exact fact to push herself to become stronger. After that, she is trained by Tsunade and then actually makes a name for herself. I'd rather not take that goal, because it's terrible. Absolutely terrible. I will make sure that I become strong. I will train even before the academy, and study so that I will pass with flying colors.

I suppose the goal that would make the most sense would be to get stronger so I don't die myself. I have a basic understanding of what happens in the anime and I know that if I don't become strong, I'll get myself and others around me killed. Believe me, I don't want to die again.

I can't say that to my new parents, can I?

I'll just give them something convenient, like...

"I will become a great ninja," I stated, "So I can be just like you." Both my parents looked at me with surprise. My mother smiled. "I'm sure you will make us proud, Hikaru." My dad however, nodded seriously. "If that is what you want, I will help you achieve that goal. That is a promise."

* * *

 **Two years later.**

I found out something extremely interesting. My mother is a Senju. I know my father isn't, but my given name is Senju. I wonder what he is. Hashirama Senju was known to have extreme regeneration and healing abilities, as well as wood style and sage mode. I wonder if I can inherit any of that?

Other than that fact, the last two years have gone by rather peacefully. My mom went back to work, meaning missions for her and more time alone for me. My parents hired a babysitter to look after. It was rather annoying. The woman knew nothing about me at all, but wouldn't stop bothering me to eat and go to the bathr-

Damnit, woman! I just told you! I'm _already_ potty trained!

She wouldn't leave me alone.

Anyways...

My father had followed through on his promise. Whenever he was home he'd train me. He trained me harder than I expected him to, but this was a ninja village, and if I wanted to save the Naruto cast, I had to become strong. I want to become a friend of Naruto's and give him support. Another goal I have in mind is potentially stopping the Uchiha Massacre.

I haven't seen Naruto much, but then again, I haven't been outside my own house that much. My father has been working me to the bone lately. After training today, I had asked to go to the playground. There was something I wanted to see with my own eyes. Luckily, my sitter agreed. The only condition was to be back before dark.

I've been struggling ever since birth to grow accustomed to these new parents and this new life. I'm just lucky that I watched a decent amount of the anime in my previous life.

I arrived at the park just in time. I found exactly what I wanted. I saw what looked like Shikamaru and Choji playing by themselves and a little Naruto swinging back and forth. No one was around the young jinchūriki, so I decided to walk up to him.

"Hello. What's your name?" I asked as I approached him.

"Huh?" He widened his eyes and looked at me strangely.

"I said, 'what's your name.'" I said again.

He looked behind him and back to me. "Are you talking to me?" He whispered.

I nodded. "Why do you ask?"

He looked down at the ground and scratched the back of his head. "Well, no one ever comes to talk to me, ya know? Every time I try to play with others they treat me like scum." His downcast expression changed instantly to an excited one. He looked up at me happily. "Are you here to be my friend?"

I shrugged.

He deflated.

A small grin formed on my mouth.

"Only if you tell me your name."

He jumped off the swing and saluted me. "Naruto Uzumaki, at your service! So do ya mean it? Do you really mean it?"

I nodded. "Hikaru Senju. I think we'll be great friends."

He jumped around happily. "Yes! Yes! I made a friend!"

Honestly, I felt really bad for the kid. There was no way I would let him deal with the villagers hateful glares alone. I smiled unwillingly. Maybe his smile was truly contagious?

The sun was setting. That was unfortunate. Oh well. "Can I meet with you tomorrow, Naruto? I have to leave. I'm expected to be home before dark." I chose my words carefully, not wanting to mention parents to an orphan.

He nodded sadly. "Alright. See you tomorrow, I guess."

I waved and ran back to my house.

That was certainly easier than I thought. I didn't think he would be that desperate for friends. Now I just need to stay friends with him and find Sasuke. It shouldn't be too hard. But then again, who knows?

* * *

 **Give me your thoughts on the chapter! Again, feel free to leave a comment.**


	3. Bonding Time

**Hello! I have a question. Would like me to keep the chapters short so I can come out with more at a faster pace, or make them longer, but come out with them slower? I know the last two chapters haven't been all too long. :P**

* * *

I was close to the house and decided that I needed to rest on the porch for a while. I needed a breather. It wasn't even the run that tired me out. Naruto's being there was a big part in it. Even though I had confirmed my suspicions about it being the Naruto universe, seeing Naruto up close and personal is a completely different feeling altogether.

I looked up at the sky and sighed to myself, quite overwhelmed, but still in a happy mood. The sun was setting. That got me thinking. I had never taken the time to truly apprectiate the sunset. Not once in my past life, and not once since I got here.

It was gorgeous.

The mix of colors were truly astounding. Pinks, oranges, purples, yellows, reds. They all collided together to form a perfect picture. One that was completely breathtaking.

I know I'm a guy and all this stuff is too sappy for me, but I mean it wholeheartedly. It was a sight to behold. I had never had a way with words, but if I had to write a poem on anything, it would be the sunset. The end of the day. End of the neverending cycle. It is a sign that there is another day to come, another sunrise to wake up to.

As I sat, gazing the sky, I heard the door open behind me. I looked back slightly and saw my mom. She walked over to the edge of the porch, where I was sitting. I was surprised, too be honest. How could I forget how much they cared? I might not be their actually child, but this woman had given birth to me. They both had stressed themselves to the max over me. They made sure I was happy, no matter what. It was selfish of me to think that they didn't deserve the same love back. I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to do that.

"So how have you been lately?" She spoke, finally breaking the silence between us. I understood the question. Both of my parents had been on a mission until recently.

"Well. How was your mission, mother? I forgot to ask earlier." I answered.

She shrugged. "Well, you know me. Masako the Great, right? Nah, that's your dad's line. It went alright, I suppose. It was a simple, straightforward task. Yet, sometimes, those are the most dangerous."

I looked up at her with curiousity. "What was the mission about?"

Masako sighed. "This was the part I didn't want to get into. You're too curious for your own good, ya know?"

"Come on, mom! Tell me. I won't tell dad that you told me." I pleaded. When Masako told stories, they were always a lot more realistic than my father's stories. He probably still pleaded my innocence. Little did he know that I died once already.

"When you put it that way, how can I resist." She said, with a small, sly smirk forming on her lips. "So you see, it was an assassination mission. But just any assassination mission, this mission, we were assigned to kill the Sand Daimyo's cousin. You see, the Sand Daimyo was having trouble with his family, but to avoid having it blow up in his face, he needed to cut off the members causing trouble. His cousin was corrupt and was making illegal trades. You understand?"

I nodded and waited for her to continue.

"If he were to hire Suna shinobi, the rest of the Sand Daimyo's family would know about it, so he secretly placed an S-class request here to have on of our teams take care of it."

"And... " I said while motioning her to continue.

"And... We did." She said with a smug look on her face. "Not that it was easy, though. Very, very tough. We had to get in and out without making a sound."

I stood up at that moment and made a declaration. "One day, I'll be as good as you are at assassination missions, mom!"

She laughed at that. Not the graceful giggle that she always made, but a full, hearty laugh. "I'm not sure that's something you want to aspire to be, but either way, I'm sure you'll make me proud no matter what."

I blinked several times, taking that in. I sat back down and nodded.

Her words hit a little too close to home. Those words...

Those exact words were said to me more times than I can count by my first mother.

I lifted my hand up to rub my eyes and-

When did I start crying?

I wiped my eyes and leaned into my mother. She gently wrapped her arms around me, giving me a warm feeling of comfort. I let the tears flow harder now. I had to accept the fact that I was never going to see them again, so I needed to adjust. I had to adjust quickly. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of Naruto and especially my parents.

My mom broke the silence when she asked me a question.

"You know you can talk to us, right?" She said, her tone was obviously worried.

I nodded into her side, the tears still flowing.

"We'll helping with anything, no matter what it is. No trouble is too great. We're your parents, ya know? If you ever need help with anything, don't feel afraid to come to us." Her voice was soothing.

I nodded again.

"Honestly, you suprise us all the time. It's not often you get someone as young as you who is able to understand all of this. You're special, Hikaru." She chuckled softly, wiping the tears from my eyes.

Special, huh?

That's an understatement.

I didn't want to be special. I wanted to go back to my previous life. There were so many problems in my old world, but it was _mine._ Something as simple as reincarnation is not going to make you forget about your first life. You'll never forget your family. The ones you loved and cherished because you didn't know it would all be pointless anyways.

Dying would have been so much better.

If I had died, then all this wouldn't be happening. I would be angry for dying, wishing I was alive again, but I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

I didn't _want_ to be able do do anything about it.

I wanted all these problems to go away. Caring about something makes one vulnerable. It causes them to think about it instead of focusing on themselves. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be effected in the first place, right? No cares, no worries.

I guess I didn't get to choose whether I cared or not.

These people who raised me, my second set of parents, are people I care about. I do not love them as deeply as I had loved my mother or sister in my previous life, but it is still love. It's kind of hard to not love someone who works only to see you happy.

My tears began to let up. My mom pulled me up and I walked to bed.

* * *

It was late at night. I had woken up to go to the bathroom, but the sound of a heated conversation drew me to the door of my parents bedroom. I tiptoed silently across the living room, putting all my effort into being as quiet as possible. I remember what my dad had taught me and put it into action.

I arrived at the door. The voices were louder now, and it was obviously my parents. Without thinking of right and wrong, I leaned my ear against the door to eavesdrop.

"-just can't do it. _I_ can't do it. Face it, Masako, he is not normal. We both know that. He's going to go to the ninja academy and do perfectly on everything! Then what will happen? He's _five,_ Masako, _five._ Itachi _graduated_ at _six_. He's a prodigy!" I winced at his tone.

"On the first day of training with Hikaru, he already showed years of skill. Beyond that of a four year old. He's proven time after time that he can handle school work. He'll graduate early! Just like Itachi. Then where will he go? Who knows? What if he ends up in ANBU? He'll be slitting people's throats before he hits puberty! For someone that young to be forced to end thousands of lives for the sake of a job and his village is never good on one's psyche. Especially one of that age!"

I was stunned from hearing my father praise me like that. It kinda makes sense. I was heavily into martial arts and hand to hand combat in my past life. Even so, his little speech sent shivers down my spine. I know the horrors Itachi had to go through. I did not necessarily want to go through that, but I wanted to become strong. If the fastest way to become strong was to excel at everything, making myself known as a prodigy, then that is what I would do.

"Only for him to kill a couple of years later! It's all the same, Isamu." My mother replies. "How many times have we killed? It's how we survive! All he talks about is becoming a ninja. Becoming a civilian is not an option for him. Shouldn't we be there and support him to reach the highest he can? You should realize that-"

"No, Masako, you should realize that we cannot follow him everywhere. We cannot be with him and protect him at all times. The highest he can reach is much higher than you or me. We both know what he is. Who knows how many other people do as well? Either way, once they find out, there will be a target on his head. A big one. We cannot be there for him at all times, Masako. You cannot be there for him at all times." His voice choked up. "I- I cannot be there at all times."

My mother's voice sounded weak and vulnerable at that moment, something I've never heard until now. "I- I can't... I-," She stuttered, "I know." She finished softly. "I'm not sure what to do. I just want what's best for him."

I began to backpedal, guilt forming in my chest. I probably shouldn't have heard that.

Ughhh... Great.

Now I have to sleep on that.

So my parents did notice. Wonderful.

I slipped back into bed. Despite all the thoughts swirling around my head, I managed to fall asleep pretty fast.

* * *

My morning went well. I had an uneventful breakfast and trained with my dad some more. It was mostly taijutsu, but we worked on my chakra control as well.

It was around noon, and I was given permission to go to the park. My plan was to meet up with Naruto and spend some time with him. Maybe I could learn something from watching him evade ANBU?

I stopped at the playground and spotted Naruto right away. He spotted my too, and immediately grinned. He ran over to greet me.

"Hey! How's it going, Hiraku?" He was still grinning.

I glared at him. "It's Hikaru."

He brought his hand up to his chin and squinted at me. "Are you sure?" He asked.

I sighed. "Positive, Naruto."

He then laughed. "Haha! Got you! I knew your name all along! You really fell for it, didn't ya?"

My eye twitched.

Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto. But that didnt change the fact that he could be annoying as hell when he wanted to be. "Yes, Naruto. You got me."

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked.

I shrugged.

"How about we play ninja?" He asked innocently. I didn't have anything better to do, so what the hell. I reached into my pocket and grabbed an air kunai and threw it at him. He dodged and sprayed air shuriken in my direction.

After a half an hour of playing ninja, I got bored. Real bored. There was only so much time I could dedicate to mindlessly running around with children not even half my age. Well, my real age, at least. I decided to finally say something to Naruto about it.

"Hey, Naruto, do you have anything else to do?"

He paused and considered the question. "The only other thing I really do is pranking people." He said after a while. I nodded vigorously. That was something I definitely wanted to witness.

"Yes! Do that!"

* * *

It turns out Naruto is a genius when it comes to traps and pranks. I read fanfics about it before, but to have witnessed it with my own eyes was astounding. Somehow, he was able to paint the entire Ninja Academy bright orange. Even though everyone knew it was him, nobody caught him in the act. How? How do you miss a giant building slowly turn orange?

It was great bonding time with Naruto. He showed me how he did his pranks and we talked about normal stuff. He also gave me a crash course on how to evade ANBU Black Ops.

Let's just say that it was the most eventful day of my new life, so far. Other than being born, of course.

We both returned to the park. The sun was going down, but it hadn't started to set. An idea popped into my head and I turned to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto! Wanna come with me to get some dinner? I know of a great place we can eat at! I'm buying!"

Some may call me a suck up, but if I get money for doing chores, I sure as hell am going to do a lot of chores.

Naruto's eyes widen. "Really!?"

I nod.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" He yelled and hugged me.

Too tight, Naruto, too tight!

I pried him off and we headed into town.

A few minutes later, I found the place I was looking for.

The aroma filled the air. It smelled absolutely devine.

Ah, Ichiraku Ramen! So many people in my former world dreamed of being able to come here. And here I am! I entered the resteraunt and sat down. I patted the seat next to me and Naruto sat down as well.

An older man walked out and smiled at the two of us. (I swear my inner fangirl is freaking out! RAMEN!) "Hello there, boys! My name's Teuchi. I run Ichiraku Ramen. Is there anything I can get for you?"

I nodded. Why not go for the normal? "I'll have the Miso Ramen, please." I looked over to Naruto why was a little hesitant.

"I guess I'll have the same." He said.

Teuchi smiled and nodded. "Coming right up." He began to make the dishes.

Naruto to me. "Thanks."

I nodded. "What are friends for?"

We waited for the bowls to come out. Once they did, Naruto and I said our thanks and devoured our meals. And no, I'm not exaggerating. It was _that_ good. The bowls were done in seconds. It was pure bliss. Hands down, the best ramen I've ever had. Naruto licked his lips. "That was amazing! Best food I've ever had!" He commented, then turned to me. "Can we come here again? Pleasepleaseplease?" He begged.

I guess that means it was a success. "Maybe." I replied. Naruto gasped. "I better head back to the orphanage! It's getting late! See ya, Hiraku!" My eye twitched as he ran off.

That was good, though. I bonded wth Naruto a lot today. Maybe tomorrow I can look for Sasuke? That would be good. If I can find him, maybe I can somehow learn of the state of the Uchiha. And then, maybe I have a chance of saving them.

* * *

 **Hello, there! Please leave a review! They definitely mean a lot! Like I said last chapter, I am thinking of leaving both Hikaru's teammates and his sensei up to you guys. Please give me suggestions for his sensei, and if you want to make an OC for Hikaru's teammates, please leave a comment. If people say yes, I'll create a form for entry in the next chapter. Obviously one male and one female.**


	4. Encounters

**Back again with another update! I greatly appreciate the reviews, so keep em** ' **coming!**

 **To sarahgri99: Thank you for the feedback! Hikaru is the same age as Lee, Tenten, and Neji, one year older than the Rookie 9. The plan was to have him on a seperate team, because I'm not sure what I would do otherwise for the canon teams.**

* * *

That was the best sleep I've had all my life! Well, my second life, at least. I even surprised myself when I woke up at 5:30. I never wake up that early!

After brushing my teeth and taking a small shower, I walked down the stairs. It was still early, so I tiptoed my way down. I didn't want to make any noise, in case my parents were still asleep.

I got to the bottom of the stairs and found both my parents in the kitchen. My mom had bags under her eyes and was tying her long, brown hair into it's normal ponytail. My dad looked fine, other than the fact that his black hair was the epitome of a bedhead. They both stared at me with surprise. My father rose an eyebrow. "You're up early."

I rose mine. "So are you."

His expression was one mixed with exasperation, humor, and tiredness.

"Mission." He stated.

"Oh."

I nodded.

My mother put a bowl on the table. Breakfast! So she did love me!

We ate in silence. After that, my parents bid me farewell and left. I knew the babysitter they hired would be here again. I really detest that woman. She acted higher than everyone else. (That might not be true. I've only ever seen her interact with me and I'm a five year old.)

I climbed the stairs and up to my bedroom. Time to think.

I formed a few goals for the future. So far, only one of them has been completed.

First of all, I needed to befriend Naruto. Luckily, that was easier than I could've hoped for. All I needed to do was get close to him and he practically did the rest. I still needed to stay in contact with him and provide him a friend that he didn't have in canon.

The next goal I had in mind was to befriend Sasuke and possibly stop the Uchiha Massacre. The second part of that goal was, unfortunately, fairly unlikely. What was the chance that a five (I would be eight then) year old would be able to influence the Uchiha clan enough to stop their coup. I wouldn't really be able to do much, as I possessed little to no political knowledge or experience. Other than that, befriending Sasuke shouldn't be too hard.

When I get into the academy, I wanted to show off my skill. I wouldn't hold back, but I would also try to stay away from Danzo and his ROOT. It shouldn't be too much of a problem, considering I had parents, but who knows. The other thing I did not want was to graduate early. Or be placed on a team I've never heard of. Considering the likelihood of myself being on a team of unimportant kids, I whined. I wanted to be with Naruto, but I already confirmed that he was a year younger, meaning I would be in..

Shit.

I would be in Neji's class.

Along with Lee and Tenten.

The last two weren't as bad, but Neji was a pain in the ass until Naruto demolished him in the Chūnin Exams. Seriously? I know his father died (willingly) because of the main branch, but who shoved the stick that far up his ass?

He always thought he was on top. Like it was everyone else's _fate_ to be beneath him. I don't know how much of that I can take before I end up snapping. I may have to remind him who's boss.

(Just kidding, by the way. I'm probably no where near as good as he is, considering he is an actual prodigy, and I just took advantage of all my past knowledge.)

Anyways... Get to the academy, show off, make my parents proud. I could do that. Yeah.

.

.

.

Was that the doorbell?

Is _she_ here already?

I got up from my bed and walked down the stairs _again._ I opened the front to door to look into the wrinkled, old face of Miss Leiko, my babysitter. She never smiled in my presence, and frankly, I didn't want her too. I really despised her, and I think the feeling was mutual. She did the job because she got money from it. I could make her day feel like hell if I wanted. Unfortunately for me, she told my parents everything I did and I didn't want to cause trouble for them.

Miss Leiko was very old. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if she dropped down dead right now. I held the door as she walked in, as slow as ever. No 'thanks' or 'thank you, sir', just silence. The aura of haughtiness filled the room. Along with her stuffy presence came stuff like card games and toys, mindless things to keep me busy.

Why would I do that when I can go outside and train? Maybe meet up with Naruto? Or even find and befriend Sasuke? She made no sense to me.

After what seemed like an hour, she got to the recliner and situated herself just right. Her scowl was fixated on me.

"Listen up, boy," Never before has a granny sounded so authoritative. "I'm in charge. There will be no talking, no making excess noise, no bringing others in here, you know the drill. If you got something to say, find a piece of paper and write it down."

As soon as she finished, I grabbed the paper and wrote down a message, asking if I could leave for the park. I handed it as quietly as possible to the she-devil.

She grabbed the paper and threw it. "Does it look like I can read without glasses? Don't insult me, boy!"

I sighed internally. This will be another long day.

* * *

After an hours worth of screaming, (her screaming, not mine) Miss Leiko finally let me out. I didn't plan on actually going to the park. I wanted to look around for a bit. Explore. Maybe I could find the Uchiha compound! Or better yet, Sasuke!

I walked around looking all over for Sasuke. He wasn't at the park, wan't at the training fields. Now that I think about it, it's pretty likely that he never goes outside of the Uchiha compound. It would make sense. They have plenty of stuff in there, so there isn't much need to go into the village. Right?

Oh well.

I kept going until I accidentally bumped into someone. And I bumped _hard._

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was... going." I looked up and stared into the face of Itachi Uchiha.

I fell on my rear from surprise. His face portrayed no emotion, as usual. He was exactly as they portrayed him in the show. His brows furrowed suddenly. He bent down and looked into my eyes. I squirmed underneath his gaze and broke into a nervous sweat at the close proximity. Even though I know why he did it, being in the presence of someone who murdered his entire clan is not something I liked that much.

"So _you're_ Isamu's son." He muttered quietly. His eyes felt like they were staring into my soul, unveiling all my secrets, some that were unknown even to me.

He gave a small nod of approval and and walked away.

I was looking for Sasuke but found Itachi instead. Maybe I could ask Itachi where Sasuke was!

"Ah, wait!" I got back on my feet, but he was already gone. I didn't know a whole lot about chakra signatures, but I was pretty sure that I could tell when one wasn't in the area or not. It was probably a Shunshin.

That was certainly something I wasn't expecting. The way he stared into my eyes felt like he was probing me. It sent chills down my spine just remembering it.

The way he said my father's name irked me as well. Why would he be surprised or curious about me being my father's son? What did Itachi have to do with it? Did it have something to do with his last name?

That reminds me.

Even though I never knew my fathers last name, it never bothered me before. In fact, I kinda just accepted and moved on. Now it's bothering me more than ever. I just _knew_ that he wasn't a Senju. My gut never led me astray.

Well, in my past life, at least.

I was pretty confident he wasn't a Senju. That didn't really leave a whole lot of options though. His dark hair and eyes reminded me of the Nara clan, but his facial features didn't quite match up. It wouldn't make sense if he was an Uchiha. He doesn't act like it, for one, and it just wouldn't make sense. Why would I be living like a normal villager if I was an Uchiha?

Inazuka? Nah. Don't Inazuka have clan tattoos? And a ninja dog? Yeah, that doesn't make sense. I don't really know of any other clan that could possibly give him those features.

He looks so familiar, though! Maybe he was kicked out and disowned? It probably has something to do with family issues, otherwise I would have seen family other than my parents.

It makes sense on my mother's side, considering the only Senju still alive is Tsunade.

Wait.

In the anime, wasn't Tsunade the last Senju alive?

My head hurts. It really hurts.

Because I know my mom is a Senju. You can tell just by looking at her.

So how is she even alive?

I think I might have to take a nap. I wanted to look for Sasuke some more and maybe find Naruto if I couldn't find Sasuke. But the meeting with Itachi really messed with my head. I know I need to somehow get Sasuke to not fly off the deep end when Itachi kills the entire Uchiha clan. How do I do that if I can't even find him?

It's not like it's happening now. I've still got... around three years. I think. Wasn't Sasuke seven when his clan was wiped out? I think. That would leave me at the age of eight when it happened. So... Yeah. Three more years.

I'm going to bed. It may still be light out, but I don't care.

* * *

I yawned and slowly got out of bed.

I brushed my teeth, showered and walked down the stairs to prepare breakfast. Miss Leiko insisted in me preparing my own breakfast. Even though she was staying at our house for the time being, she refused to make me breakfast. Or any meal for that matter. It was always, "Do it yourself, brat!" or "Are you going to make an old woman get up to prepare dishes you could easily prepare youself? How outrageous! Do you wish for me to contact your parents!?"

Yeah. Annoying, right?

After I finished breakfast, I heard a knock at the door. I knew it wasn't Miss Leiko, because she was sound asleep in the guest bedroom. I tiptoed to the door to keep the noise to a minimum and opened it slowly.

A kid was staring at me. This kid had dark black hair and equally dark eyes. He was close to the same height as me. His face was one I was very familiar with.

"Hello, Hikaru."

I stood, looking directly into the eyes of the one and only Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Again, I'm going to remind y'all that if you want to make on OC for this story, all you have to do is review and say yes! I will be accepting OCs.**

 **On another note, I'm still not sure who to pick for Hikaru's sensei. It has to be a jōnin who doesn't have a team already, like Kakashi. I don't feel to comfortable with messing up the existing teams. So feel free to leave suggestions.**


	5. UPDATE

**Sorry for the late update. I was at a summer camp and some things happened. I have a mild concussion, so I'll make sure to get back as soon as possible.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Voidfang**


	6. Of Friends and Four Year Olds

"You."

I stood there dumbfounded as I stared at Sasuke Uchiha. I was only slightly taller than he was.

Why was he there? How was he there? I don't even know him! Well, I shouldn't know him.

"How do you know my name?" I asked hesitantly, making sure to keep my voice down in case Miss Leiko heard me. If she heard us, we'd be screwed. The situation was definitely weird. I've never even seen an Uchiha other than...

Oh.

Itachi must have told him to come over.

Wait, _what?_

Why?

What does Itachi want with me!? I'm a kid! My parents aren't well known. _I'm_ not well known!

"Never mind that question. Why are you here?" I asked him, maintaining my hushed tone.

"My big bro-" He began, but I cut him off with a "Shhhhh!" He gave me a confused look.

My eyes widened for dramatic effect. "I live with a devil. She'll hear you."

He shrugged. His eyes told me he could care less, but he fortunately obeyed.

"My big brother, Itachi, told me to come here." He answered in a softer tone. "He said you could teach me some things since he never has the time. Surely you've heard of him." He responded. He didn't look very pleased. Poor Sasuke. You'll get plenty of bonding time when you're trying to kill him.

I nodded my head, trying to make sense of it. Why would Itachi even suggest such a thing? He knows how old I am, right? Regardless of skill.

Wait a minute.

I'm not even that good! If Itachi had been spying on my training sessions the whole time he would have known that.

How would I teach Sasuke? _What_ would I teach Sasuke? I'm not a teacher. I'm only _five._ Physically, anyways. And maybe my mental capacity isn't as big as it used to be, but that's besides the point.

All I know is what my dad taught me and what I remember from my old life. Is that enough to teach someone? Someone of Sasuke's skill, no less?

I mean, he's probably not that skilled. The kid is only four.

I guess I should try, since Sasuke is right in front of me and I've been whining about finding him for a while. Apparently Lady Luck decided to show mercy on my poor soul. I'll show him a thing or two. Yep. That would probably be best.

Maybe we should just spar.

"Alright. What's your name." I asked. Might as well play it safe, right?

"Sasuke Uchiha, younger brother of Itachi Uchiha, and an heir to the Uchiha clan." He puffed up his chest as he spoke. I mentally sighed at all the _Uchiha_ 's he said. He must have been brainwashed to be _that_ prideful.

"Fine. Let's head out to the yard. We can train there." I told him. I waved my hand to get him moving and we walked to the backyard. Thankfully, Miss Leiko didn't hear a thing.

* * *

Sasuke and I sparred for the next two hours. It was clear that I held the advantage. I was expecting something more, but he lacked backbone. His attacks were not intended to damage me. I guess having your entire family slaughtered by someone close does stuff to you. Now that I think about it, Sasuke's mental state in the show wasn't the best.

I probably would've gone insane.

And then to top it off, Itachi trapped him in Tsukuyomi for who knows how long.

I truly feel for him.

That doesn't excuse his actions, though.

Moving on!

Other than the fact that I was sparring a four year old, he was pretty good. I couldn't not go full out. There were some pretty intense moments, but it was never life threatening. To lessen injuries, we left all ninja tools out. Just hand to hand.

Sasuke was panting. He looked up at me.

"Thank you. When my brother first mentioned this, I thought it would be a waste of time." He spoke truthfully, but that didn't make it any less rude. My eye twitched.

"You don't have to be so rude. It's only natural that I'm able to keep up with a four year old." I answered with a huff of annoyance.

He glared at me. "You're only five."

Oh.

Right.

"I guess so." I sighed. "It doesn't change much, though. As long as I'm able to beat you, age does not matter."

Sasuke gave a classic "Hmn."

I guess it doesn't matter what age. Sasuke will be Sasuke.

...

I should probably wait for the massacre before saying that.

A sudden growling interrupted my thoughts.

Sasuke looked at me with his eyes narrowed. "Hungry, much?" He teased.

I glared.

"Maybe."

He laughed.

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want. Tell you what, why don't we head into the shopping district and get something to eat? Are dumplings alright? I'm kinda craving some right now."

By Sasuke's widened eyes, he was not expecting the offer. He scratched the back of his head.

"Y-yeah. Why not?" He answered hesitantly.

I smirked. It seemed like the kid wasn't all bad.

"Come on, then!"

I waved him over and jumped the fence of my back yard. Sasuke was close behind.

* * *

We were close to the restaurant when I saw a familiar blonde.

Naruto had just finished cleaning up after one of his pranks. It seemed like he pranked one of the villagers, but was caught in the act. Obviously, because he wouldn't be cleaning it up if he wasn't caught. He wasn't looking very happy until his eyes met mine. A grin from ear to ear appeared on his face. He started to run toward me with both his arms waving frantically.

I waved back.

Sasuke spoke up.

"Who's the idiot?" He asked haughtily.

I give him another glare.

"Don't call people you don't know idiots. That person running towards us is Naruto Uzumaki. He's kinda the village pariah, but if I catch you treating him that way, you're dead." He was about to open his mouth but I interrupted. "And no, I don't care who your brother is." He shut his mouth.

"Understood. I just hope you don't expect me to make friends with him." He mumbled, his expression still the same.

"As long as you don't kill each other, we should be fine." I stated. He nodded, but I'm not sure if he got the meaning.

Naruto finally caught up to us.

"Hi, Hikaru! I haven't seen you in a while!" The jinchūriki was as energetic as ever.

My eye twitched for the second time today. I think my nerves were worn out.

"I just saw you two days ago." I answered in a monotone voice. He smiled at me.

"I know!"

I think my eye is starting to become an issue.

How much longer can I take these four year olds!?

"Sooo... Who's the guy next to you?" Naruto asked, pointing at Sasuke. I mentally sighed.

"This is-" I began, but was shortly cut off by the man himself.

"Sasuke Uchiha, an heir to the Uchiha clan. You should feel honored to stand in my presence." He stated arrogantly. He's really gotta get rid of that attitude.

Naruto scoffed. "And why would I be honored? You're the same age as me!"

Sasuke clenched his fist. "Why I ought'a-" He began, but I cut the poor kid off again by grabbing his shoulder.

"Enough. Sasuke, let's go get our dumplings. Naruto, would you like to come along?" I asked politely.

Naruto looked at me wide-eyed, his tone incredulous. "Do you even have to ask?"

I laughed.

"I guess that's a yes, then. Come on, we'll all get dumplings together."

* * *

We walked into the restaurant and ordered several plates of dumpings. I ate until I was full. Sasuke only had two servings.

Naruto, on the other hand, had around ten. He engulfed the entire plate in his mouth. I've never seen someone eat like that in either of my lives.

Dumplings were something that I enjoyed in my past life. I ate them almost every time my family went out to an Asian restaurant. That is, every time the restaurant served them. They weren't exactly the prettiest thing to look at, but they were very good.

It was about noon and Sasuke told me he had to return home. Naruto and I saw him off. After he left, we started walking down the road to my house.

"So..." I decided to make small chitchat on the way there. "Where do you live?"

A bitter smile formed on the blonde's face. "The Orphanage. I can't say I live there, but it's where I'll be sleeping tonight."

I felt a pang in my heart. If it were up to me, I'd invite him to live with my family, but I'm not sure if it works that way. Hell, I don't even know if my parents would allow it.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish there was something I could do." I stated.

He shrugged. "Don't worry. I've gotten used to it."

Another tug at my heart strings. Damn. Poor kid. Just wait until you're respected, Naruto.

We parted halfway there. I walked the rest of the way alone.

When I arrived at the house, I made sure to open the door as quietly as possible. If Miss Leiko woke up, I was screwed. I just wish my parents got back soon. The she would leave.

I closed the door behind me and took off my shoes and walked into the hallway, only to discover the devil herself staring at me from the living room. Her eyes were narrowed.

"Hello, Hikaru. Mind telling me what you where doing with your little friend all day?" She practically hissed the words across the room.

"Ummm..." I gulped.

"Did you think I wouldn't have noticed? Child, when I was in my prime, I was a jōnin capable of anything! And you think you can fool me?"

"I- I can explain!" I stammered.

"Explain what! I made myself perfectly clear about guests and visitors! Go to your room! If I sense even the slightest movement outside of it, you're in for it!" She yelled.

I nodded vigorously and scrambled up the stairs.

Once in my room, I sat on my bed. My sixth birthday was coming soon. It wouldn't be long until I entered the academy. I stared out the window and sighed.

There was still daylight! Why'd she imprison me in my room!?

I checked my notes. According to them, the Uchiha Massacre was to happen soon. In two or three years. I had to be ready by then. I want to set Sasuke on the path of success.

As well as Naruto.

Maybe I can include him in my sparring sessions? I dunno. He probably won't be that good. If I really did that, I'd have to go over the basics.

Once my parents get home, I can finally have my mom's cooking and train with my dad again. That's all I really want. There's not much else to do. The four and five year olds that try to associate with me tend to drive me crazy. It's not my fault I know more than them!

I put my notes back on my dresser, then rested. I wasn't extremely tired, but any extra rest was worth it. I don't know what I'll do tomorrow. Probably the same? It'll definitely be a similar day.

Little did I know that things would start getting hectic.

* * *

 **Voidfang here! I finally finished this chapter. I was recently cleared for my concussion, so hopefully I'll be posting more recently!**

 **I am still accepting OC's, but the position for the male genin teammate on Hikaru's team has been taken by Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.**

 **Thank you for the feedback, as always!**


	7. First Day of Academy!

A week had passed and I hadn't done anything differently. The _entire_ week had been the same.

I'd get up and sneek to my backyard. Sasuke would meet me there and we would train. Well, more or less. Training isn't the right word, since it was more like a one-sided beat down. Luckily, he was fine with it, because he was learning. It also gave him a chance to be himself.

After lunch, I'd go and hang out with Naruto. We'd talk about the academy and pranks, ramen and normal things. We'd mess around for a few moments.

I'd get home and do the chores Miss Leiko had set out for me. They were usual things like dishes, or laundrey. It took up little time. After that, I'd sit in my room and think about my life so far and the things I wanted to accomplish. How strong I wanted to become, and the people I wanted to protect. After dinner was over, I'd go to sleep.

It was almost like a luxury.

I let go of my worries of this new life. I adapted into a new lifestyle, met new people and friends. It was peaceful. _Beyond_ peaceful.

That's what got me thinking.

Peace will never last. As much as people like Naruto strive for a world with only peace and no war, it won't happen. It's impossible. There are far too many humans with selfish desires that are only in it for themselves.

Not that I'm one of those crazy psychos running around and killing every person till the world is less populated. It's in human nature to be greedy, so I can't blame them for that.

Even so...

People like Madara will always exist. Ready to disrupt the balance at any given moment. Even people like Itachi, who did what he thought was best, murdered his entire clan and drove his younger brother mad with power and revenge.

As happy as I am now, I have to realize that it will not last. The Uchiha Massacre will occur two years after I start the academy, according to my calculations.

* * *

I sat in the dining room, casually munching on a late breakfast Miss Leiko prepared for me.

Speaking of the hag, she was sitting in the living room, reading some old book. I couldn't exactly tell what it was, but I could have sworn it was _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja._ Wasn't that Jiraiya's first book?

I had just finished swallowing my mouthful when a knock came from the door.

My head turned to Miss Leiko, but she motioned me to do it. I decided to play along and did as she asked.

I opened the door and my parents stood in front of it, smiling.

"You're back!" I exclaimed.

My mom laughed. She laughed a full, hearty laugh. "And just in time, too." She gave me a quick wink.

I cocked my head to the side. "In time? For what?" I inquired.

My dad slid his right hand through his long black hair. "For someone's special day."

Again, I raised my brow, not quite understanding. Someone's special...

Oh!

 _Oh._

"You came home just for my birthday?" I looked at them incredulously. Weren't they on a mission? Did they quit?

Masako frowned. "Of course, sweetie. We wouldn't want to miss. Especially this one." She spoke seriously while my dad nodded.

"It's your sixth birthday, Hikaru. In a couple of days, you'll be starting the academy." He said with a tone that said he couldn't believe it himself.

"What about your mission?" I asked quietly.

"Luckily, we were able to speed up the mission and finish it sooner." Isamu explained.

"We made it back as soon as we could." My mom added. She pulled her hair out of it's usual ponytail and walked into the kitchen. "We even bought a cake along the way!" She activated a storage seal and- BAM! Instant cake.

My dad stayed and chatted with Miss Leiko a little more. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it sounded kinda important.

Mom had cut up three slices of cake. (And an extra one when the devil incarnate was asked.) We sat in the dining room and finished our cake.

Once Miss Leiko and my dad finished talking, she bade her farewells and eyed me one last time. I couldn't say I would miss her. Finally, my biological parents were back!

* * *

I talked with my parents for the entire day. They decided to take me shopping for some standard equipment. In my opinion, my outfit was pretty darn awesome. I wore black fingerless gloves, black sandals, black pants, and a white shirt/robe thing that Neji wore in Shippuden.

Unfortunately, when the first day of the academy came, I was no where near ready.

For some reason, I was a nervous wreck. There weren't many times in my past life that I was this nervous.

Eventually, I got my things around and finished breakfast. My mom motioned for me to head off. I followed her lead, and we walked to the academy.

* * *

We made it to the academy in time. The teachers were explaining things to the new students. None of the information was useful to me in any way. Most of it just explained what we would be learning and how the academy worked. All of this I already knew.

The parents left and the kids were split up into their classes.

I chuckled as I saw Lee and Tenten in the crowd. Lee was as exuberant as ever, wasn't he?

I sighed when I spotted Neji.

Just my luck. I hope we don't come into contact until Shipudden.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a streak of white. I turned my head to find a girl around my age. She was much smaller than me, but I could tell because she was walking with my class.

Her face held a certain innocent youth to it. It gave off a strange feeling...

Familiarity? Was that it?

She had small markings above her eyebrows. Was that it?

As we walked, I slowly made my way over to the small girl.

I tapped her shoulder lightly to get her attention. She turned to me and narrowed her eyes. "Can I help you?" She asked politely.

"What's your name?" I asked hesitantly. I didnt want her to get the wrong idea and run off. "You look really familiar, that's all."

"My name is Katsumi." She answered. Her voice was soft and high pitched. It matched her appearance perfectly. "What do you mean by that? I am postive I've never seen you before."

"I'm not sure," I scratched my head, thinking, "but you are definitely familiar. What's your last name?" I asked.

She tensed up so fast I could have sworn I imagined it.

"I don't have one. I'm an orphan." She said, almost robotically.

"Oh." I didn't have much else to say. A few years ago I felt like one. Even though I did have a mother and a father, they didn't feel like they belonged. I feel better about it now.

"What is your name?" Katsumi asked, trying to change the subject.

"Hikaru Senju. Nice to meet you." I replied. "I hope we can be friends." I added.

A small smile formed on her lips. "As do I."

We walked into class and took our seats. Our sensei started class by explaining things. Most of it was already stuff I knew. When he began to talk about basic chakra theory, I looked over to Katsumi.

Her face was studious, but impassive. She seemed to be pretty good at hiding emotions.

Unlike me.

I was never good at controlling my emotions. Even now, I am not.

I felt pretty good, though. It was the first day of academy. This time is to be spent training. Getting stronger. Improving the people around me. If I am strong, than I can stop all the evil in this world.

* * *

 **Sorry, all of you! I've had this draft out for a while, but school started and I had to get in gear and apply myself. I finally was able to finish this chapter up.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	8. Academic Pursuits

**So, it seems applying oneself in school related activities is harder than it seems. Why does school have to be difficult?**

* * *

The past few days were alright, at most.

The stuff they were teaching at the academy was incredibly easy, so far. I knew it wouldn't take too long for them to get into stuff I didn't excel at. Stuff like chakra theory, chakra control, etc.

I didn't really feel comfortable with chakra yet. I was six and all I could do was sense my chakra. I tried to mold my chakra into my limbs, but to no avail. I would have to work on that. The ability to enhance your body with chakra was necessary. Completely necessary. There has _never_ been a ninja who couldn't mold chakra like that. Ever

"Hikaru. Could you please pay attention?" I looked at the kid next to me who had called.

We were supposed to be doing a little project, but the idea didn't entertain me that much. I couldn't help but drift off.

His name was Shiro Kagamine. His name was... entirely self-explanatory. His hair was as white as Katsumi's, but short and unkept. He was a little taller than me as well. He wore standard black fingerless gloves and navy blue pants with knee pads. His t-shirt was a dark shade of green and he wore a white scarf. The scarf is a little overkill, if you ask me. It's not like the Land of Fire is known for its cold weather. Then again, Konohamaru wears his scarf all the time.

"Yeah, sorry." I mumbled and joined in once more.

The project was simple enough, but it wasn't the most interesting thing. I had dozed off multiple times, fueling Shiro's slight dissatisfaction with my work ethic.

My work ethic had never been good in the first place. I got decent grades in highschool, but I never really applied myself to anything. The grades were a result of dumb luck, good memory, and a little bit of cheating.

At least cheating was smiled upon in this world, right?

Shiro looked me in the eye. "You're paying attention, right?"

I nodded slightly.

"Good. All we need to do is to map out the trajectory of a kunai with this much wind resistance." He pointed to the paper he held as if it were obvious. "We need to know this stuff in order to become Genin."

I sighed. I knew it was important, but did we really have to?

"I know, I know."

In half an hour, Shiro and I had finished the project. It was mostly Shiro who did the work. I helped, but it wasn't really necessary. Shiro was a knowledgeable kid, that's for sure.

While I may be more than twice his age spiritually, I was never any good at geometry. Adding six years of me doing nothing but mope around like a toddler did nothing to aid my already hazy memory of my past life. The people and the things I knew and accepted have changed. I have to strain to remember my previous parents. I can barely remember my sister's name.

I feel horrible.

Terrible.

Worthless.

Nevertheless, what I do know and remember are the people in my life currently. My current parents and friends. They have already started to fill the gap in my heart.

Shiro had thanked me for contributing to the project (Had I? Really?) and I gave him my thanks. We didn't speak very much before, but I wanted to befriend him. The more allies, the better, right? The only friend I have currently is Katsumi, and if I thought about it hard, I wasn't sure I could actually call her that.

I think?

Maybe?

It would definitely be good to have her as a friend. And Shiro as well. Maybe I could talk to Lee and Tenten. Preferably not Neji. He wouldn't be _that_ bad if it was me, right? I am a Senju, and the Senju is (was) a respectable clan. I wasn't an Uchiha, nor was I a nameless nobody. So... Maybe? If I were to-

"Hikaru! Pay attention! I won't repeat myself again!"

It seems that Iruka wasn't the only one who knew Big-Head no jutsu.

I sighed. "Yes, sensei."

The old man squinted at me for a second and presumed.

"As I was saying..."

I tuned him out immediately.

* * *

Being that it was lunchtime, everyone was loud and split into small groups or cliques. I searched for Katsumi throughout the room. I knew she was there... Ah! Found her.

I made my way over to her desk and sat down, lunch in hand.

She gave me a strange look. "What are you doing?" She inquired.

I rolled my eyes. "What does it look like? I'm sitting with you."

Another strange glance. "Why?"

I responded quickly. "You said we were friends."

"You didn't sit with me before. What is different about today?"

I sighed, mentally. "I just didn't before. It's not like I need an excuse to sit next to someone."

She nodded. "If you insist, than I guess I have no other choice."

I opened up my lunch and started eating.

Although, it was kinda hard to eat when she was staring at me the entire time.

"Cut it out! I can't eat like this." Remind me again why I'm here?

She looked away and mumbled an apology. Now that I was looking, it appeared that she didn't have any lunch with her.

I looked down at my lunch. I had plenty, but I needed the nourishment. I needed the food!

I grabbed a rice ball and handed it to Katsumi. A single tear fell from my eye.

She gently pushed it away. "I cannot. I am not hungry anyway." After that sentance was spoken, her stomach growled softly. She blushed at the sound.

A part of me wanted to listen to her and devour the food.

"Take it." I put it on her desk. "If you don't, the rice will go to waste."

She looked down at it for a few moments. Finally, she grabbed it and started eating.

Inwardly, I knew one rice ball was not enough, but I couldn't force myself to part with my food.

As soon as I saw Shiro, I invited him to sit with us. He reluctantly agreed, but decided to sit next to me, on the opposite side of Katsumi.

"Who's the girl?" He whispered.

"Who?" I asked curiously.

"The girl! Next to you." He explained.

"Oh, her. That's Katsumi. Katsumi, this is Shiro. Now that you both know each other, let's all be friends." I said, rather cheerfully.

"Alright." Shiro agreed.

Katsumi nodded.

* * *

A new teacher came in shortly after. I liked this teacher much more than the other one. What was her name... Hitomi? Was that it? She definitely looked the part. Her eyes were a bright purple, a color that was beautiful, but shouldn't be natural.

It's a shame she only taught PE.

"Is everyone ready for some actually fun?" Hitomi-sensei asked the class. The entire class started to cheer and get out of their seats. We followed her out to the training yard.

"Alright, class, today we are going to split up and spar! The standard rules should apply. No jutsu, no weapons, and no bodily harm. If you're ready, find yourself a partner!" She yelled cheerfully. Her voice was so optomistic, it was hard not to follow along.

I looked around for Katsumi.

She was coming for me. Thats good.

She looked up at me. I was only slightly taller. "Will you be my sparring partner?"

I shrugged. "Why not?" I put up the academy taijutsu stance. It was slightly modified, of course, put you could tell where it originated from. One could tell a lot from a stance, so I didn't want to put all my Uchiha moves in yet. She probably couldn't tell, but it never hurt to be sure. Additionally, I hadn't perfected my stance from sparring with Sasuke.

She put up a similar stance and a soft smile traced her lips. She said something, but it was too quiet to hear.

Hitomi-sensei blew a whistle and we all began.

I didn't have time to think about it anymore as she jumped at me, quick to attack. It didn't take long to realize that she was faster than me. As I backed away, I threw multiple punches at her. She dodged easily and came at me again. She feinted right and attacked left, leaving me defenseless on my left.

After she landed the hit, I swung my right foot at her, aiming to disrupt her momentum and balance. She jumped back gracefully, dodging my weak attempt.

"That all?" She asked. That smile hadn't left her face.

I clenched my teeth and ran at her. I punched again and again at her left. _If I could get her to focus on her left side, maybe I can get a shot in on her right..._

She brought both hands to block and in that moment, I brought my left leg up and swung hard. It connected, but not entirely. It missed the part I had intended to, but it hit nonetheless.

She clenched her side, her petite frame quivering slightly from the kick. I looked up, however, and the smile was still there. It freaked me out a little. She ran at me again and swung her left arm.

I jumped back, just barely missing the punch. She swung once again with her right, but this time I caught it. I pulled her close and spun her around, holding her arm to her back.

"Looks like this is almost over." I said, feeling rather smug.

"Indeed." She said softly. She pulled closer to me and put one foot in between mine. I grew flustered and was about to pull away, but...

In one fell swoop, she twisted out of my grasp and had me pinned against the floor.

She whispered into my ear. "Didn't you say it was going to end soon?"

I shivered at her breath on my ears. I made a weak attempt to get up, bet decided that the ground was a much more comfortable option. I looked up and saw Hitomi-sensei walking out direction.

"I'm impressed, you two. That was some spar. Are each of you alright?" She asked, her voice lined with concern.

"Other than my pride, not much has been hurt." I mumbled. I looked over at Katsu. She stopped holding her side, but she seemed to be leaning on it.

"I am in no need of attention, sensei." Katsumi stated.

"Well, if you say so..." Hitomi-sensei sighed and walked over to a different group.

Katsumi turned to me. "Thank you for sparring with me." She said, her smile gone. It was replace by her usual expression. Something monotone.

I nodded. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

She shook her head. "Only a little. I've had worse."

I shuddered to think of what she meant by that.

* * *

The academy was done for the day. I walked home by myself. Again.

It wasn't that big a deal for me. I was used to being alone. Ever since I've been in this world, I haven't been close to a lot of people. I suppose it couldn't be helped, if one loses all of his connections to his loved ones.

I dearly wanted to remember everything about my past life clearly. My loved one's names and faces. Their looks when they are happy, or when they cry. I want to remember it all.

Then something dawned on me.

If I'm staring to forget important figures of my past life, than won't forgetting an anime be easier?

I have to get home quick, so that I can write everything down that happens in the show.

I ran inside of the house, ignoring my parent's greetings. I quickly ascended the stairs and darted into my room. I grabbed my notebook and flipped through it. There were many lines of text on it that completely escaped me.

Then, in big letters, were the words: 'STOP THE UCHIHA MASSACRE'. I stared at it multiple times, trying to take in the letters, but something wasn't clicking.

Why would there be an Uchiha massacre? Why would Itachi do such a thing?

* * *

 **Sorry for the incredibly long wait! I'm not dead, so I decided to finish a chapter! Don't worry, the story itself will start going a lot faster until I reach the Genin arc.**


	9. First Encounter with Death

Two years had passed. It was a long time, but it hadn't felt that long.

In some ways, it felt entirely different from the past couple of years. In other ways, it felt completely the same.

For example, my mother became pregnant. I hadn't noticed anything until she told me. She told me that I was going to have a sibling sometime soon. This was a little unfortunate, because my mom had to retire for a bit. Because of this, my dad started working double, and ended up not being home much. With that in mind, I tried to behave the best I could for my parents.

Everything was essentially the same in our third year of academy, except the teachers had thrown in more chakra training and jutsu theory into our curriculum. We learned more of the basics, but actually started to learn the three academy jutsus. We hadn't finished, of course, but it was progress nonetheless.

I spent much of my time with Katsumi and Shiro. They became very close friends. In my opinion, we were inseparable, but I'm not sure they thought the same. At least Katsumi didn't. It seemed she rathered to work alone than with Shiro and I.

They weren't the only people I hung out with. I was still friendly with most of my class. (An exception being Neji. He was still... I'm not finishing that.) I talked with Lee and Tenten a few times and enjoyed their company. The rest of the class was rather dull.

I wasn't sure what to do about the Uchiha Massacre though. How was I supposed to do anything? It's going to happen soon, I know that, but it doesn't help me. Not much anyway. I can't prevent something I don't know about. No one can.

On the other hand, Naruto and Sasuke had started their second year of the academy. It was amusing watching Naruto fail and Sasuke outshine him everytime. I so desperately wanted to help him, but I was afraid it might mess up his future.

And that was something I was _not_ willing to risk.

* * *

It was still dark when I woke up.

It wasn't unusual. Ever since I heard my mom was pregnant, I had made sure to get up extra early every morning.

I started to put my clothes on for the academy. The new school year had just started a few weeks ago. I gathered my things around and double checked everything, just to be sure.

I began to smell something cooking, so I decided to check it out. Mom must have woken up before me.

As I walked into the kitchen, I found something that suprised me.

My dad was preparing breakfast. Like, _actually_ preparing breakfast.

It wasn't the fact that he was making breakfast, rather, it was the fact that he was there at all.

As of late, he was almost constantly on extremely long and dangerous missions. Ones that I had little knowledge about. I knew he had taken them up so my mom could rest, but...

Wasn't he on some month-long mission? It hasn't even been a month yet.

I was up late last night and he wasn't home. He must have gotten home later while I was asleep.

He turned his head slightly to look at me. His dark eyes were missing their usual carefree light. He had dark bags under his eyes.

"Good morning, Hikaru. How did you sleep?" He asked, monotonously.

I paused for a couple of seconds. "Good, I guess."

"That's good." He replied, sighing heavily out of... relief? I couldn't tell.

He plated me some food and we sat together. The sun was rising steadily now. We sat for a couple of minutes silently.

"How are your lessons coming along?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood.

I shrugged. "Alright. We started learning the substatution jutsu yesterday."

He sighed deeply. "It can get you out of some pretty messy situations."

I nodded. "Yeah." I paused for a second, then added, "Will you be home early this afternoon?" I was working on the jutsu, so maybe I could get some pointers and deep sigh. "Nah, I'm heading over to consult a fellow shinobi for some advice." His head slumped at the mention of this.

My curiousity has been piqued.

"Who?" I asked, suddenly much more into the conversation.

"Ah- well, that's classified information." He chuckled awkwardly. Not the answer I wanted to hear. Maybe if I pouted?

"Fine. Don't tell me." I sighed heavily, my voice laced with disappointment. His brows furrowed.

"C'mon, Hikaru, don't be like that. I would tell you if I could." He explained. "Dont worry. I'll be home tomorrow. I don't have a mission for a while, so we can spend more time together, alright?"

I nodded.

We sat like this for a few minutes until I hopped off my seat. "Thanks for the meal, dad."

He smiled genuinely. "No problem. You're going to the academy, right?" He asked, to which I nodded.

"Have a good day. I'll see you tomorrow." He said as I left the house.

* * *

The clouds had taken on a dreary hue of grey before I had arrived. A cold nip in the air was present, making the day look even worse.

I got to the academy a few minutes early. I scanned the classroom for Shiro or Katsumi. It didn't take long to find the signature streak of white hair near the back of the class. I made my back and found Shiro sitting in his desk. I pulled a chair out and sat next to him.

"How are you?" He asked, waiting for me to get seated.

"I've been better." I answered. "Where is Katsumi?"

He shrugged. "I haven't seen her yet. She's usually early."

"That slacker. Maybe she won't be here today?" I suggested.

"Maybe not. It's not like she needs to." He continued, "Her grades are really high. They're almost as good as Tenten's. Maybe if she came more, she'd be better?"

"Yeah, but... What if it's all a plot, and really she is extremely strong? What if, what if she was actually a missing-nin? Or, what if she's just a pacifist and doesn't want to hurt anyone?" I fantasized. In my head, I crossed out that last possibility. Kastumi and pacifist shouldn't be in the same sentence.

Shiro sighed. "You and your fantasies..."

The teacher arrived and we quieted down. He started his lesson, but still no sign of Katsumi.

About half way through the day, we started the substitution jutsu. We all went outside to the training ground. Luckily, Hitomi-sensei was there as well.

The teacher had us split up in partners to practice. One person was to set and reset the object (in this case, wood logs) and the other would attempt to substitute. We took turns, each working at the jutsu. We had gone over the theory last week, so it wasn't all that hard.

I reset the log for Shiro first. It took him a couple tries to get it right, but he did it fairly easily. We exchanged places and I tried the jutsu. I lifted my hands to perform the jutsu, I gathered the chakra, and then...

Nothing.

Nothing happened. I tried again, but to no avail. I raised my hand. "Hitomi-sensei! I need help!" I called. She walked over to our position.

"What seems to be the problem?" She inquired.

I answered, slightly embarrassed. "I've been following the steps, but I can't perform the jutsu."

She nodded and pulled her black hair out of her sight. "Alright, could you try it again?" She gazed intently at me with her purple eyes.

I made my hand sign, gathered the chakra, then...

Nothing, again.

"Okay," She paused, "You are not gathering enough chakra. Try putting some more into it."

I did as she said, but nothing happened.

"A little more." She prodded.

I obeyed and it finally worked. I switched place with the log!

"Hooray!" Shiro exclaimed, "You took forever, but you did it!"

I stared at him. "I can't tell if you're insulting me or complimenting me.."

"Both." He commented sarcasticly.

"Good job, Hikaru." Hitomi told me, eyes shining with approval.

"Thank you, Hitomi-sensei!" I smiled.

The class went back indoors after we had finished practicing the jutsu. We were assigned a small amount of homework and were sent home.

Shiro and I trained together by the training posts, testing each other's acuracy. We threw mostly kunai, but also some shuriken. After, we had a light spar. It was getting late and the time came for us to be leaving. We finished our spar with a draw.

I waved farewell to Shiro and began walking home.

* * *

The sun began setting, the sky turning pretty shades of orange, purple and pink. It reminded me of the conversation I had with my mom a while ago. The air felt cool and refreshing, especially after the spar at school.

I arrived at the entrance to my home and walked in.

"I'm home." I said. My mom was sitting at the dining table, waiting.

"You're late." She said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Sorry. I was sparring with Shiro." I explained.

"Right..." She raised an eyebrow.

I insisted. "I was! You can ask him and **_he'll_** tell you the same thing."

"Well, either way, I have dinner prepared. Sit down and eat."

I obeyed and began eating.

After dinner, I said goodnight and went to my bed.

It was around nine when I woke up again. For some reason I was extremely restless. Instead of sitting, I got up and flipped through the notes I had taken around a year ago.

I was transfixed by the bold letters of the 'UCHIHA MASSACRE'. No matter how many times I thought about it, nothing came to me. I felt like there must be something obvious that I was missing.

I sighed and put the notebook down. I turned my mind away from those thoughts and gazed out the window. It was dark out, but the light of the moon made the outlines of the village slightly visable.

As soon as I was about to look away, a shadowy figure appeared, balancing on the top of a telephone pole. I squinted to see if I could make out anything and what I found was slightly desturbing.

Two faintly glowing red eyes looking straight at me.

The next second, the figure disappeared into the night.

* * *

I woke up early again, quickly getting ready to go to the academy.

I ran downstairs and looked around for my mom.

"Mom, are-" I paused. A very faint noise became audible. It almost sounded like whimpering. I stopped breathing to see if I could hear it clearly.

It was definitely a faint cry, and it seemed to be coming from my parents bedroom. I tiptoed over to the door and opened it slightly. I pressed my eye against the crack to see into the room without making too much noise.

My mom was laying face down on the bed, clutching a letter in her hand. She was crying. The soft whimpers came more often now that I was closer. I opened the door and ran beside my mom.

"Mom! Are you alright?! What's wrong?" I asked, slightly panicking.

The soft whining developed into a sorrowful weeping. In between breaths, she spoke.

"Your- your father... He is... He's... He's gone!" She continued to weep.

My eyes widened, desperation filling my voice. "What do you mean?! Where is he?!" I yelled.

She handed me the letter.

It was crumpled and damp from all the tears, but still readable.

It looked strangely familiar and when I read it, I knew why.

The dreaded words... 'We regret to inform you that...'

"He's... dead..." Her voice gradually lowered until she reverted to whimpering. "He's dead."

I gasped for air, not realizing that I had been holding my breath the entire time. I took a step back. Then another. And another. "No..." I mumbled quietly and slumped against the wall, my body going limp. "No... He can't... He can't be..."

The letter fell out of my loose grip. I sat there, motionless, for an hour.

After the shock left, all that was left in me was boiling rage. I knew what happened. I knew who did this. I didn't why, but I knew who. I screamed.

 _ **"DAMN YOU, ITACHI UCHIHA! YOU BASTARD!"**_


	10. My Team

The noise in the classroom had started to grow louder and louder as the young soon-to-be graduates talked amongst themselves, each attempting to be the one who could talk the loudest.

There were several reasons to explain this.

First, it was a the last class of the day and, more importantly, a Friday as well. Second, this was (hopefully) the last test they would ever need to take. And third, this test was the one thing blocking everyone from achieving their dreams: being powerful and well-known ninja.

Some, however, had different dreams.

"Ok, class! Pay attention!" Hitomi-sensei called out to the group, but to no avail. If anything, they had gotten louder. The teacher clenched her fists. "I said..." She began softly.

"SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION!" She yelled.

"Hai, Sensei!" Rock Lee shouted.

The entire class grew silent and obeyed, each individual returning to his seat.

Hitomi-sensei breathed in and out. "Now that I have your attention..."

"I know that today is a big day for all of you. It is for me as well. Unfortunately for you, it will not go any faster if you keep on blabbering the entire time. I will have you _all_ stay here until everyone is finished, got it?"

"Hai, Sensei."

She sighed with relief. "Alright. Now that that's sorted out, we'll begin the test. So, when your name is called, head on over to the testing room." Hitomi squinted at the list "Hmn... Hikaru Senju. You can head over."

A boy sat up and walked to the door. He portrayed no emotion as he moved, no excitement or anxiety. His brown hair was longer than it had been four years ago, covering his eyes as he moved.

Shiro jumped out of his seat, his white hair a stark contrast from the rest. "Good luck, Hikaru!" Katsumi nodded, sitting beside him, her white hair blended with Shiro's.

Hikaru turned away and huffed. "I don't need it." And with that, he left the room.

Shiro sat down and rested his head on the table. "Why doesn't he understand that we're here for him?" He asked.

Katsumi layed her hand on his back and spoke softlly, the way she always has. "He does. He just needs... Time."

"Time?" He mumbled, "He's had four years to think about this. Four _years_! I just... I don't know what else to do." The boy's voice gradually softened, losing it's harshness.

Katsumi wasn't one to keep a conversation going, but she was able to give support when needed. "Neither do I. Even so, I know he'll come around. Trust me."

Shiro looked up at her. "I hope you're right."

The door opened and Hikaru walked back in. Hitomi-sensei picked up a forehead protector and gave it to Hikaru. He hesitated for a second, then grasped it and tied it firmly around his arm.

"Next is... Neji Hyuuga. You can head over." The teacher spoke.

* * *

I walked out of the academy building with a small sense of pride. I had finally graduated, and with it, came the ability and the training necessary to further my goal.

When put that way, it makes me sound like Sasuke.

While I was deeply hurt by Itachi's massacre, I didn't lose my full family. I only lost a father who wasn't even my first. My mother is still alive and she gave birth to a healthy baby girl who she named Mei. It was something she had talked over with dad before...

So maybe it did affect me more than I realised. Either way, Sasuske lost everything he loved. Lost it all to a person he loved. That love that he held for his older brother so easliy turned into hatred and he needs that hatred more than anything else. How else is he supposed to kill the brother he so loved?

That's his goal. Revenge.

My goal, is slightly more sane. All I plan on doing is gaining power. And that can be done just by growing. And being around Naruto. Everything important revolves around him, naturally.

Once I grow strong, I can aid the future Hokage and change the outcome of the war. Well, probably not the outcome. Because we win. Though, I would prefer a smaller body count. Well, less important lives lost, anyway.

I reached my home and walked in. "I'm home." I called, just in case. A little girl ran up to me. She had long, dark hair, like her father, with large hazel eyes. I gave her a smile. "Hey, Mei! Look what I got!" I said, showing her my forehead protector and trying to be jovial. Yup, smiling still hurt.

Her eyes widened. "Woah." She said, awestruck. "I want one!" She jumped to reach it, but she was too short.

"Maybe when you're older." I responded. "This is only given to elite ninja, and being a ninja is tremendously dangerous." I tried to warn Mei, but she would have none of it.

"I want to be like big brother!" She exclaimed happily. The thought made me cringe. No you don't, Mei. No you don't.

My mother called from the kitchen. "Hikaru! Could you come here and help prepare for dinner?" She asked. I replied in the affirmative and went over to help her.

Dinner was around five o'clock. We ate in silence, as no one felt the need to chat. No one knew what to talk about. Mei was just getting the basics of speaking, I had nothing to comment on, and Mom had gone from the bold, expressive, and talkative mother that I knew, to a quiet and soft-spoken woman.

"Thank you for the food." I said, looking at my mother. I silently hoped she would respond. Unfortunately, she merely shook her head.

Now that I thought about it, I did have something to talk about.

"I graduated the academy today." I said, attempting to start a conversation. "I'll be placed on a genin team this Monday."

Her eyes widened. "Already!? Are you sure it's time for that? Why haven't you told me before?" She gave me a puzzled glance.

It was my turn to give her a puzzled look. "I did. I told you last week and the week before." I told her.

"You did? Huh, I don't remember... I don't think you're ready, sweetie." She said, her eyes filled with worry.

"I'll be fine, mom. I can handle myself." I responded, feeling slightly cocky. I regretted it instantly, for a reason I wasn't quite sure of yet.

Mom's brown eyes started to tear up. "That's what your father said, before he..." She held her hand over mouth, choking on the words as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

I looked down, feeling ashamed. My shame, however, quickly turned into something else.

"I'm not dad." I began, "I promise you, I'll survive. I'll make you proud." my words were filled with conviction.

My mom stared at me and cried even harder.

I turned to Mei to find her almost at tears as well.

 _Great._

* * *

It was the morning of genin team assignment. Everyone was talking loudly, again. Even I felt slightly jumpy as I sat in my seat.

Hitomi-sensei walked with a large smile on her face. "Alright, kids," Everyone instantly quieted. She laughed. "Wow! You all must be ready to hear what teams you're placed on, right?"

Still silence.

"Okay then, I'll start. Team 1 will be... " She began to read the names off of the list.

I tuned her out until I heard my name.

"Team 6, that will be Hikaru Senju," I perked up when I heard my name. "Shiro Kagamine, and Katsumi. That's all. Your Jonin sensei's will arrive after lunch."

Everyone split up into their groups. I wasn't completely sure what I'd say to Katsumi and Shiro.

They walked over to me. "Wanna eat with us?" Shiro asked.

I looked at him. "It's not like I have anything better to do." I answered.

Shiro squinted at me and mumbled. "I guess that's the best I'm going to get."

"Why don't we eat outside?" Katsumi asked.

Shiro and I nodded in agreement, and the three of us walked outside and sat in the grass. It almost turned into some sort of picnic. We ate in silence for a while.

"We're still friends, Hikaru. You know that, right?" Katsumi asked, startling me in the process.

"I do. But I don't need friends to get strong." I responded.

Katsumi sighed.

"Why are you acting so superior? So arrogant? To think that you need only yourself to get stronger?" Shiro asked calmly.

"Tch." I was about to make a sharp reply when I paused. He was right. Now that I think about it...

I'm acting more like Sasuke than I thought.

I sighed, collecting my thoughts, and responded. "I'm sorry. It's tough. I don't know how to react, how to even feel. My dad has just... He's gone and I don't know what to do." I let it out, pouring my emotions onto my friends, leaving me with a feeling of vulnerability.

"Thanks for telling us." Shiro smiled. "I don't know what it's like to lose a parent. Not yet. But I can still try to comfort you."

Katsumi nodded. "And I will try my best to do the same."

"Thanks, you guys." I said, quietly. Lunch was now ending. Others who had eaten outside had started to move inside. "Do you wanna head in?" I asked.

They both nodded. We walked in together.

* * *

A man with a green suit and impressive eyebrows came in yelling about youth. I knew it was Guy and was afraid that he was our sensei. If he was, that would cause big problems for Rock Lee. He would only become as powerful as he was with the help of Guy.

Thankfully, he gathered Nenji, Lee, and Tenten and left. They were the last ones here, besides us. We kept quiet, occasionly chatting while waiting for our mystery sensei.

"Ughh, all this waiting is killing me." I moaned, feeling more boredom than I have in a while.

"He'll be here." Shiro said firmly. "Or her." Katsumi added.

"Or her." Shiro repeated, slightly irked.

"Well, whoever it is better have a good reason for being late. Because this wait is killing me." I said. Now that I think about it, Naruto probably had to wait a lot longer than this.

Before I finished my thought, the door burst open with an extreme force. I glanced over to see who it was. I jumped out of my seat when I saw who it was. It was a kunoichi with purple hair and greyish eyes. Her attire was mostly made up of fishnet with an open trenchcoat.

Her name was Anko Mitarashi. And she didn't look too happy.

I opened my mouth but before I could even speak, she yelled. "Sit down and listen up!" I immediately sat down. "You're original squad leader has resigned, so I've been ordered to take his place. This is the first time I've been forced to babysit little punks like yourselves. So, don't expect much. Ya understand?"

By the time she finished talking, all of the steam had left. She took in a deep breath. "We're not going to be doing anything today, so why don't you guys come with me to get some dango. You can introduce yourselves there." Anko offered.

We nodded. And walked over with her.

Well, this can't get any better. Anko Mitarashi as our sensei. Who would've thought? What changed for her to not be in T&I at the time?

Oh well. At least we get dango.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed reading! This chapter was fun to write.**

 **I should probably mention, if you didn't already know, at the early phases in this fanfiction, there will be a lot of OC action. I only have these three in the fic so far, but they will take up a lot of early 'screen time'. Later on, I will involve Naruto and Sasuke much more.**

 **Feel free to comment on what you liked or didn't like.**


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